Coming Home
by Krys33
Summary: The sequal to Then I Did. Lorelai returns home after working for the Durham Group. Complete!
1. Arrival

A/N: Here it is! The long-awaited sequel to 'Then I Did'. Hope y'all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I know, I know. You've heard it all before. They're not mine. I'm not bright enough to come up with these characters myself. The credit for that goes to Amy Sherman-Palladino, who rocks my socks.

* * *

_(6 months later)_

Lorelai sat on the airplane, staring out the window at the European countryside below her, and thought. She realized how… boring, for lack of a better term, the job had become. Landing in foreign countries had lost its thrill. The constant travel became monotonous. All the long flights were tiring.

Traveling on business really wasn't glamorous. Her father had always said so, but she'd never quite believed him. She definitely did now.

Many of her trips were spent in conference rooms, most of which were right down the street from the airport. If she did any sight-seeing at all, it was out the window of a rental car as she sped on the left side of the road, which took more concentration than she'd thought, to visit inns.

As soon as she landed in France that night, she called Mike Armstrong to give him her two weeks notice. She told him it'd been fun, but the job just wasn't for her. He agreed to let her go back and manage the Dragonfly.

Sure, he'd sounded disappointed, but Lorelai had no doubt that he had an idea for her replacement brewing in the back of his mind. She hung up, already thinking about what she'd do when she got back.

The final two weeks of her job sped by quickly. Before she knew it, she was back home in Stars Hollow. The first thing she did was drive up to Yale to visit her daughter.

* * *

She knocked on the door of Rory's dorm the evening of her return. Rory pulled it open, and upon seeing her mother let out a shriek and proceeded to nearly tackle her.

After they had both calmed down, they settled themselves on the couch.

"So?" Rory asked.

"So what?"

"Very mature."

"I try."

"_So_, why are you back? I thought you were in Europe until Christmas."

"I quit."

"You _what_? Why did you quit? You loved that job!"

"I did. I just missed…" Lorelai trailed off, saddened.

"Missed who?" Rory asked.

"You." She recovered with as real a smile as she could muster. And hey, it was true. Just not the word she'd planned to finish her sentence with.

"Oh." Rory replied, knowing full well that her mother had not intended to say what she had. "So what are you going to do now?" She inquired, thinking it was best to change the subject.

"I'm going back to the Dragonfly."

"Really? That's great."

"Yeah. It is." Lorelai agreed. She knew things weren't great.

But being back was certainly a step in the right direction.

* * *

After a long chat with her daughter, Lorelai returned home. She turned the key, stepped in, and flipped on the lights.

Lorelai walked into the living room and turned in a slow circle. The house seemed… empty. Had it always felt this empty?

Her job had taken her mind off her loneliness. This last time the house was this quiet was the day Rory left for Yale. And she had managed to avoid staying in the then seemingly huge house by staying with Jason as often as possible. After that, she'd warded the emptiness with Luke.

That was the first time she'd allowed him to _really _enter her thoughts since she stepped through security, never looking back. She had feared that if she'd gazed over her shoulder, or even glanced behind her, she'd turn and run right into his arms and be too scared to leave. After that day, she'd forced herself to keep her mind off him, managing to bury herself in her work from day one. The only time she'd ever even entertain the idea of going back was when she was at the airport, and she'd always end up convincing herself to get on the 'right' plane and truck off to her next destination.

But now?

In the emptiness of her house, she couldn't keep the thoughts of him away. There was nothing for her to occupy herself with, and it didn't help that the house held reminders of him everywhere.

Lorelai ran upstairs and managed to change into pajamas, the pair that least reminded her of him, and burrow into bed before the tears came.

And once she started crying, she couldn't stop.

* * *

Luke lay in bed that night, unable to fall asleep. This had happened nearly every night since _she_ had left. One year, seven months, and three days ago. He wasn't proud of the fact that he knew exactly how long it had been. And no way did he want to relive that day.

He had watched her disappear through the security gate. He kept staring long after she had gone. Actually, he was there for quite awhile. Luke didn't realize the time until he was nearly mauled by a small child running amok though the airport. Once he had been jerked out of his stupor, he checked his watch. When he saw the time, he cursed, which had resulted in dirty looks from the neighboring citizens with small children. Embarrassed, he had fled the airport and returned to the diner to help Caesar with the dinner rush.

Since then, he'd tried without success to erase her from his mind. Eventually, he just gave up, knowing he'd never forget. So at night, he let his mind wander and let memories of her run through his mind.

* * *

Lorelai awoke and washed her face to clear any evidence of last night's breakdown. She walked into the kitchen and fixed herself some tea. And there she sat, consuming her new form of caffeine and thinking.

She managed, after a lot of talking to herself, to convince herself to go to the diner. After all, Luke did deserve to know she was back. She'd rather him hear it from her than the gossip mill. So she grabbed her purse and began the journey to the diner.

Lorelai arrived at three in the afternoon, meaning that the diner was nearly empty. The only person inside was Kirk, sitting at a corner table, staring blankly out the window. She took a deep breath and stepped through the door.

Luke, back in the kitchen, heard the bell jingle over the door, signaling that a customer had entered and sighed. He was in a particularly bad mood today. At least he was in the kitchen. Had he been in the diner, he'd probably have scared the person with the rate his head shot up every time he heard that annoying bell. He hadn't been able to stop. There was always part of him that thought maybe, just maybe, it was her.

And every time he was disappointed.

By the time he'd sauntered out of the kitchen, Lorelai had taken a seat at the counter. Upon seeing her, his eyes widened. He blinked a few times, just to make sure she was real. He wondered if he should pinch himself, to be positive that he wasn't dreaming. But he realized if this somehow happened to be real, it would make him look crazy. So he walked over and grabbed the coffee pot. Strange how easily this came back to him.

He turned to face her, coffee pot in hand. She dismissed him. "No thanks. I… I don't drink it anymore." Lorelai didn't have the heart to tell him that she'd stopped drinking her beloved beverage because it reminded her of him.

Luke was shocked. There were a lot of unpredictable things about Lorelai Gilmore, but he never imagined that she'd stop drinking coffee. He set the coffee pot back in its place.

"So you're back?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'm back. For good."

"Really?" It couldn't be real. It just couldn't be. Sure, in his dreams she came back. But he never once even considered the fact that she would come home. He had just assumed that he'd never see her again, and that would be that.

"Yeah. Really."

"Where're you gonna work now?" Luke asked her. He wanted to keep the conversation going; keep her there as long as he could.

"Mike's letting me work back at the Dragonfly."

He nodded. "That's good."

"Yeah."

Well, he'd tried. They fell into an awkward silence.

"You, uh, want something to eat?" He asked. This tactic could never fail. Lorelai Gilmore was always hungry.

She nodded. "I'm starving."

"I'll get you a burger." And with that he treaded back into the kitchen.

Cooking bought him some time to think and to process. _Lorelai Gilmore was back._ He repeated this phrase over and over in his head, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.

_Lorelai Gilmore was back._

And, damn, he hated admitting it, but he'd missed her.

A lot.

* * *

TBC... most likely. So review with your thoughts please!


	2. Missing You

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting… I had some writer's block. The next chapter should be up sooner.

Many thanks to those who reviewed (A-Karana, isis-sq1, Roxton7, idolizelorelai13, tom, Bambi McBimbo, papaslittlecj, ProFfeSser and Charmedchic72.). I love that y'all like this story.

* * *

The next day, the phone in the diner rang. Luke snatched it up while trying to balance two plates on his next arm. "Luke's."

"Hey, Luke."

"Rory?"

"Yeah, it's Rory. I-"

Luke cut her off. "Could you hold on for a minute, Rory?"

"Okay."

Luke pressed the hold button on the phone and returned it to its cradle. "I'm gonna take the call upstairs, Caesar." He called back to the kitchen. Quickly, he delivered the plates to the correct tables before heading upstairs. He grabbed the phone. "Rory?"

"Still here."

"Go ahead."

He could hear her take a deep breath before speaking. "Mom's back."

"I know."

"You know?" _Wow._ She'd thought her mother would be avoiding the diner at all costs, making sure she would never see Luke.

"Yeah. She came in yesterday."

Rory couldn't believe it. She'd thought that if, and that had been a big if, her mother had, eventually, decided to return to the diner, it'd be after quite a bit of time had passed. But Lorelai Gilmore _was _the queen of spontaneity, so she should've seen it coming. "Oh… I just thought you should know."

"Thanks anyway." Luke was touched by Rory's concern for him. He hadn't seen her too much over the past year and a half. After her mom had left, she'd frequented the diner less and less.

"You're welcome."

"Anything else?" Luke asked. It sounded to him as if she had something more to say.

Rory took another deep breath. "She missed you. You know that, right?"

He looked down and examined his shoelaces for a moment before replying. "Yeah. I – I know."

"Good. I'll try to stop by sometime."

Luke's head rose, and he smiled at this. "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

After her last class on Friday, Rory sped out of Yale towards Stars Hollow. She arrived at the Dragonfly seventeen minutes later.

Upon arriving at the front desk, Rory hurriedly asked Michel about her mother's whereabouts. He half-heartedly told her that her mother was in the kitchen with Sookie. As she turned to leave, she distinctly heard him mumble something under his breath about _no one ever dropping by to see him_ in his patented French accent.

She barged into the kitchen, grabbed her mother by the arm, and pulled her out the back door, ignoring her protests.

Lorelai was shocked. "What are you-"

"You went to see him?" Rory exclaimed.

_Oh._ Lorelai gave a small nod.

"Oh my gosh! What did you say?" Rory was ecstatic. Her mother going into the diner was a _huge _step towards… well, she didn't want to jinx it.

"I said I was back-"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Rory replied sarcastically.

"… for good."

Rory nodded. _Much better_. "And…?"

"_And_ that I'm working at the Dragonfly."

"That's it?"

"That's it. He made me lunch. No… dinner. Well, what's between lunch and dinner? Whatever that is."

"Okay." Her mother still seemed on the down side. Something was up.

Something she wasn't willing to admit.

Before Rory left, she asked one last question. "You know he missed you, don't you?"

She looked at the ground and scuffed the toe of her shoe in the dirt, noticing the bright pink being shrouded with brown.

"Yeah. I know."

* * *

Rory figured that while she was in Stars Hollow, she should keep her promise and stop by Luke's.

She entered the diner accompanied by the jingle of the bell above the door.

"Hey Rory." Luke called.

"Hey, Luke." She replied, taking a seat at the counter.

He poured her a cup of coffee, assuming correctly that this Gilmore hadn't given up her beloved beverage. "Haven't seen you around much." He stated.

This was true. Rory had basically avoided the diner ever since her mother had left. She didn't want to have to face him or remind him of her mother. Rory had figured it would just be easier if she stayed away. But she didn't tell him that. "School." She offered as an explanation of her absence.

Luke nodded. He knew why she hadn't stopped by. "How's school going for you?"

"It's tough. Senior year is hard."

"You'll be out soon."

"Six months."

"Excited?" he asked.

Rory nodded. "Yeah. Nervous, though."

He shook his head in response. "You've got nothing to worry about."

She grinned. "I want you to come." Rory told him.

"Come where?"

"My graduation. You should come."

"I wouldn't miss it." He replied, smiling slightly.

Rory finished her coffee and pulled back her sleeve to check her watch. "I gotta…" She silently finished her sentence by pointing her thumb over her shoulder. "Town meeting's about to start." Rory grabbed for purse and pulled out her wallet.

"It's on the house." Luke offered.

"Thanks." Rory put her wallet away and stood to leave.

"Come back soon, okay?"

"I will." And with a parting smile she left the diner.

* * *

TBC… Next you'll see what happened at the town meeting.

Review!


	3. Coming Home

A/N: Muchas gracias to all of my fabulous reviewers (You know who you are. I love you all!). I apologize profusely for the shortness. I tried to make it longer, but it just sort of wrapped itself up sooner than I planned.

Here is the final chapter, Chapter 3!

* * *

Rory entered Ms. Patty's just as Taylor slammed his gavel multiple times to silence the talkative citizens. She quickly found a seat in the back as the meeting started. 

"Quiet down, people!" Taylor shouted. He had found that this was more effective than just the gavel alone. The room slowly quieted.

"As you know, a very important member of our town has been abroad for the past year and a half." Taylor announced. At this, Rory sat up a bit straighter in her seat. "Now that Lorelai Gilmore has returned, I find it fitting that we celebrate this arrival. I move that we have a festival to commemorate the Lorelai's homecoming."

Ms. Patty immediately spoke up. "I second the motion."

"All in favor…" Needless to say, the hand of every person in the room was raised.

All the tasks, such as decoration and entertainment were quickly delegated to the appropriate individuals, and Rory agreed to tell Lorelai to contact Taylor to voice her ideas on what she wanted. They were all told that the celebration was to take place on Saturday, and that they should spread the word.

After hearing the news, Lorelai, of course, was thrilled. She loved attention. And, as a bonus, this would give her a chance to stop think about Luke. Because as much as she'd tried stopping it, her mind seemed to be focused on him.

By the time Saturday rolled around, Lorelai was beyond excited. A party just for her. There hadn't been one of those in years. She had taken the day off of work and meticulously spent hours getting ready: showering, grooming, picking _the _ideal outfit, makeup, and primping. She couldn't show up looking anything less than perfect to her own party.

And when she showed up, fashionably late, of course, the festivities were in full swing. After glancing around, she spotted her daughter chatting with Lane between songs. She rushed over to Rory just as the band began preparing for their next set.

"Hey!" Lorelai cried, enveloping her daughter in a hug.

When she pulled away, Rory gestured with her arms at the celebration going on around them. "So?"

"It's exactly how I pictured it." Lorelai gasped with delight and grinned as she heard Lanes band start up a Bangles tune that they had learned especially for her. She pulled Rory by the arm to the dance floor. "Let's dance!"

And as they danced to the upbeat song, Lorelai thought that maybe, just maybe, if she tried hard enough, she could dance everything away.

* * *

Luke leaned against the counter, arms crossed, staring out the window. He scanned the crowd. After a moment, he spotted her. It wasn't hard to miss Lorelai Gilmore. Because this was her party, she was smack dab in the center of all the action. She was dancing with her daughter, a huge smile on her face. And he couldn't help but smirk as he watched her swing her daughter around playfully, because she looked so happy. 

After a moment of thought, he left the diner and sat on an empty bench in the square. This gave him a better view of her. _Déjà vu, _he thought. Luke had been in this exact spot years ago, watching Lorelai dance with Max.

As he gazed on, there was a chaotic partner-change, and as Rory ended up with Sookie, Lorelai, utterly horrified, had ended up dancing with Kirk.

Luke, the fixer that he was, immediately rose from the bench without thinking and walked over to Lorelai and her newfound dance partner. He tapped Kirk lightly on the shoulder. "May I cut in?" he asked. Kirk just shrugged and wandered off to find Lulu.

Luke wrapped his arm around her waist and she put her hand in his. Lorelai sighed "Thank you." She told him, relieved.

"No problem." He replied. It really wasn't.

It was amazing how easy it was for them to fall back into routine. She rested her head on his shoulder and he slid his hand from her middle to her lower back. He was glad just to be holding her again.

The two of them just drank in the moment, seemingly taken back in time to when things were all right between.

When the song ended, and the reverie was broken, she began to pull away. Luke kept hold of her hand, and before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her back to him and kissed her.

For a moment, he forgot she was his… ex-girlfriend (It hurt him just to think that.). He forgot that she had chosen work and a glamorous, classy life over him. He forgot that everyone was staring at him and that the finely honed alarm that told him he was causing attention was blaring in his head. All he could focus on was how wonderful this was and how incredibly soft her lips felt against his.

And that's when he realized that she was kissing him back.

She was finally home.

* * *

The End 


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